And he’s gearing up to deal with the grind of another grueling NFL season.
“Life changes quite a bit as you get older,” the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback said on Monday’s “Let’s Go” podcast. can be
“At 25, I was only thinking about football. That was my life. It was eating, sleeping and drinking football. It was my profession, my career.” As time goes on, other priorities arise – life and you grow in different ways.
Brady described the “big camera” that always felt focused on him, looking not just at his football life, but his personal life and the scrutiny that comes with it.
“You can’t stop life just because the sport is going on. I’m 23 years old and I’ve been playing, but I have players playing soccer in their freshman year of high school,” he said. “I have a 12 year old boy who is going through life.
“I have a 9-year-old who is going through her life. And I have parents and a lot of really important things like off-field pursuits and goals that you’re trying to maximize.” Once football season comes around, what do I need to do, how do I need to focus, and what can I do for the organization to reach our full potential as a team? We know very well if we need to make commitments.”
The seven-time Super Bowl winner has been philosophical about being the NFL’s biggest star and how he deals with the pressures that come with a changing life.
“I don’t think life is the ultimate joy. I don’t think life is always the ultimate pain. I don’t think life is the ultimate struggle,” he said.
“Your life has its ups and downs. You go through the clouds, you go through the sun, you go through the rain, you go through the beautiful days. And you appreciate the moment and find joy in the little things.”
After his only preseason game on Aug. 27, Brady told reporters when asked about missing training camp for 11 days, “There’s a lot going on.”
And while some suggest that Brady has lost his passion for playing, he has clearly demonstrated his dedication to performing on the field.
“I feel like I have a little bit left, so I’d like to try. It’s all thanks to my teammates, a great coach and the whole organization,” he said. “We’ve been building something pretty special here in Tampa over the last few years.
“Last year was pretty close. We lost to the Super Bowl champions at the end of last year, but they played more games than us in that game. The fire of competition is still burning and I want to be out there. I hope you all have a great season, I always felt like I played for the name behind the jersey and the name before the jersey, there were a lot of people who supported me along the way. Bucks and my family.
“I think football has taught me many great lessons over the years.It has provided me with incredible relationships.I have had some of the best memories of my life on the field. I feel the same this year.”
Source: www.cnn.com
